Railway-coupling.



H. ELVAN DORN. RAILWAY COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19. 1912.

. Patented A g. 3,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

H. :E. VAN BORN.- RAILWAY-COUPLING. APPLICATI'JON 'FILIED- AUG. 19. mg.

Patented Aug. 3'

1 sugars-SHEEN. v

H. ELVAN DORN.

RAILWAY COUPLING. ARPLIQATIONHLED AU.G.- 19 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Patented Aug. 3,

RAILWAY, COUPLING- APPLICATION man -Aue.19, i912.

4' swears-shin 4.

" 1, 148,555; E Patented Aug. 3, 1915;.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application filed August 19, 1912. Serial No. 715,756.

railway couplers of that class in which a rigidly secured head or bolt in one drawhead engages and interlocks with a complemental head in a complemental drawhcad, and acts not only to rigidly couple the drawheads, but as" well simultaneously couples I a section on line 12-42 of Fig. 1.

the air and steam lines and connections.

Elevated, interurban and street car companies. and steam roads as well, have. demonstrated that. the methods of coupling here, tofore in use are not s'ulliciently reliable inasmuch as trains frequently break in two by the failure of the coupler. or because of inefiicientcoupling. frequently resulting in serious loss and damage, andjsometimcs in very serious accidents and loss of life. This, of course. frequently happens when trains are passing around curves and in many instances the unequal applicationof stresses on the curve has occasioned such uncoupling.

The object of this invention is .to afford couplers adapted when coupled. to unite" with substantially the rigidity of a slide bar.

and to preclude relative movement of either coupler with reference to the other.

It is also an obiect of the invention to afford a construction in which accidental uncoupling is an impossibility, and in which. when once coupled, the various air and steam connections are also coupled and cannotpossibly become accidentally uncoupled.

It is also an object of the invention to ailord a construction adapted to couple with practically any type of coupler, in whicha coupling pin is employed, should such be desired. "j

The invention hasother objects and purposes. hereinafter more clearly set forth. and, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described. I

ln the-drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of coupled drawheads embodying my invention. Fi 2 is a horizontal section thereof, and showing one of the hose line connections in elevation. .Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of couplers embodyin my invention, showing the interlocking )olts in elevation, and in the act of coupling. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the locking cams released from place preparatory to uncoupling. Fi 5 is a side elevation. Fig. (3 is an enlarget front elevation. Fig. 7 IS a fragmentary horizontal section illustrating a slightly different mounting of the cam. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view illustratin the lower -sprin casing for the locking bo t. Fig. 10 is a ra mentary detail view of the opposite endticreof. Fig. 11 is a section on line 1111 of Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is As shown in the drawings: The drawhead'l, is shaped on the face thereof, to afford two flat and parallel faces on opposite sides of the drawhcads, indicated by A and B, and connected by an intermediate inclined guide face C, so that when the couplers are brought together, as shown in Fig. 1. the line of engagement of the drawheads is a broken line. Each ofsaid drawheads 1, is cored to a [ford an interior chamber, which opens through the'outer face of the drawhead for substantially the width thereof, and is slotted through each of the side walls of the drawhead at the. faces A and B.

Rigidly engaged in each drawhead is a locking head. which lies at one side of a centra line tbcrethrough. and projects out- \vardly from the drawheadthrough the flat face A. Said locking head conforms substantially with the contour of the. inner side of the chamber in said drawhead in which the same isengaged, and integrally connected therewith is a tail 2, which projects inwardly substantially to the axis of the drawhead, and is provided with an a erture theretln-ough to receive a pin or wit 3.

' whereby the same is engaged in place, and in a similar manner a pin. or bolt 4. extends through said drawhead, and locking head. so that said locking head is rigidly engaged in the drawhcad.

Extending through said flat face A, and the slot communicating therewith in the adjacent side wall of the. drawhead, is a shoulder 5, integral with the locking head and llt) which in the cmresplonding. slotin the face B, of the complemei'ital coupler to altord an Interlock between said couplers to prevent relative vertical movement of the drawheads when coupled, as the flatand inclined faces assist min-eventing relative lateral movement thereot' when coupled. Each oi'said locking heads is shaped'onv its outer side from said shoulder to near the extremity to afford a concave outwardly facing locking face. which inclines llllVilldliV from said shoulder, and aliords a concave recess in the outer face to receive the locking member hereinafter described. Said locking heads are complementally shaped on their inner faces to mutuallv engage, and for this purpose, each locking head is slightly round-' ed at its outer extremity 5 and tapered, affording a fiatt'ace 6, opposite said locking recess, and which inclines across the axis of the drawhead and. toward the drawhead,

thence atan angle therewith and obliquely. toward the opposite sides ot the drawhead, I

and cross the axis, affording a flat face. 7, then outwardl and obl quely across the axis, affording a flat face 8, then inwardly and again across the axis attording'a fiat face 9, and to the flat inclined face 10, of the tail of the locking head. As shown, the tie. inclined faces 6, S, and 10, are substantially parallel, and said faces are directed obliquely outward, the flat faces 7 and .9, are substantially parallel and afl'ord nearly a r ght angle with the aforesaid faces, and are directed obliquely-1nwa.rd, thus afiordlng a succession of zigzagged or stepped faces 1n the complei'i'iental locking heads adapted to mutually engage when coupled, as shown in and 4c.

.2, rotative cam block 11, is provided in one side of the coupler, or. that opposite the locking head, to engage in the recess of th con'iplei'nental locking head when projected into the drawhead. For this purpose, said rotative cam block 11, is journaled in the otherwise open side of the drawhead and extends vertically therethrough, and is jfn'ovided with a peripheral flange 12, near the upper end thereof to seat around the aperture therefor to support-the cam block in place. Said cam block i provided on its upper end with a pintle or gudgeon 13, on

the upper end of which is rigidly engaged,

a lever 14, to operate the same, and, as shown, a coiled spring 15, is wound about said gudgeon and at one end engages a fixed point or shouldcrlG, on the drawhead, and at the other engages said lever to hold said lever at normal position for locking engagement with the cam block and locking head. Fiaid can: block is provided at its lower end with a downwardly extending gudgeon 17, which is diametrically slotted, as shown in 1 i g. 11, and wound about said gudgeon and engaged at one of its ends in said slot therelindric for the major portion of its surface,

in, is a strong spring 18, the other end of which engages a. suitable shoulder or abutment 1-9, on the under-side of the drawhead, and acts normally to return said cam block to locking position when released. As shown, a casing or cover 20, incloses said gudgeon and spring,- and is secured in place by'means of a cotter pin 21,or othersuitable engaging means. Saidcam block is cyand is cut away between its bearings in the walls of the drawhead to a dord a sectorshaped recess 22, which is normally in uncoupled position and faces outwardl under the action of said springs, and on the inner side of said cam block beyond said segment shaped recess, the wall thereof is cut away to afford an eccentricity with the axis of the block, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Slidably ei'iga'ged within the drawhead, is a spring pressed detent comprising a bolt 23, having a head adapted to engage in said re cess in the cam block at the inner'side there- 'of.. Said bolt is-cored to afford an internal recess to receive a spring 24, and is provided with a longitudinally slotted aperture'atits inner end, through which extends .a pin 2-5, which is rigidly engaged in the upper and lower walls of the drawhead. An'abutment block 26, is secured on said pin in the spring recess in said bolt, as shown in Figs. 2,8, 4, and 11, and the inner' end of said spring 24, engages thereon, -while the outer end thereof engages said bolt and acts to project thesame outwardly against the cam b1ock.

As. shown, the head of said bolt 23, is rounded on its inner side, or that adjacent the locking head, said end of the bolt being, shaped to afford a finger, adapted to engage in the inner side of the segment recess in the cam block when the .cam block is turned to release positiomas shown in Fig. 4.. In this position, the bolt '01 detent is held in engagement with the cam block by engagement. also against thelocking head. and in consequence, the cam block is held from movement until the beginning'of the withdrawal of the respective locking heads from uncoupled relation. A sufficient clearance is afforded between the stop 27, and the. inner side of the bolt, so that when the inner end of the locking'head clears the head of said bolt, the cam block rotates slightly under the action of itsv spring, and because ofthe clearance between the stop 27; and the bolt 23, such slight rotation is sufficient to releasethe cam block from said bolt. so that the end of the locking head-may be withdrawn from the drawhead without 1705-- sibility of jamming between the complemental locking head and the, cannblock.

In the construction illus'trated in Figs. 7 and 8, the bolt 23, is wholly-omitted, and the v cam block 28, is provided with an upper pintle 29, and a lower pintle 30, eccentric cam block, so that'the longest radius of the eccentric is. normally held in position in the recess in the locking head when projected into said drawhead in coupled position.

Owing to the extreme eccentricity of. the cam block, a comparatively shallow sector shaped notch vor recess is required in the shorter radius of the cam block, and into which, and oblique with the axis ofthe camblock, the point ofthe locking head strikes to rotate the cam block during coupling, said springs acting toreturn' the cam blocks into locking position when the' drawheads come together.

Meansare proi ided for coupling steam and air lines simultaneously with the 'cou- For this purpose, one or-more metalllc tubes or pipes (depend pling of the drawheads.

ent upon the numberof such connections required for the service) are inserted obliquely through suitable apertures in 1 each drawhead, 'and the locking head therein, and substantially at a right angle with the inclined head. Said pipe isfaceflS, of said lockmg provided with an-external' peripheral flange 36, midwayin its length, which seats against a suitable shoulder in the bore therefor in the locking head, and secured on said flange and bearing against the outer side of said the pipes "Said pipes 35, are

flange, is a-pushing spring 37', the'outer end of"which'bears-against'a closing plate 38, through which the outer extremities of said pipe pass, and which is rigidly secured by cap screws 39, or other suitable means upon the side of the drawhead.

The hose pipes 4:0,for air, steam, or other purposes, for each end of each car, are connected directly upon the external ends of 35, in thedrawheads for said car. slidably and yieldingly engaged in the drawheads and locking heads at a right angle with the obhquely and outwardly directed faces of the locking head in said drawhead, and in the same plane with the inclined guide face C, of the drawhead, and substantially parallel with the obliquely and inwardly inclined faces of said locking head, as shown in Fig. 2. Said pipes are shaped or bored at their inner ends to a recess for a gasket 41, which liespartly -within the end of the pipe,- and also projects vided at the inner side-of each of said pipes,

at its extremity, which projects flush with,-

the pipes 35,

-gaskets in said ping faces the inclined face coupled relation.

positive and rigid interlock afford other drawhead, pas Shown in Figs. 3, 4c,

and 11.

i As the drawheads are brought to coupled relation, the inclined guide faces C, on the drawhead, as well as the construction of the locking heads, necessitates a'slight lateral swing of each head with reference to the other, the inclined faces C, on the drawhead guiding the drawheads'in the locking heads to coupled position, such "relative movement of such drawheads in coupling being oblique with the axis of the .drawheads'and in the plane of said guide faces, and inasmuch as in said drawheads and locking heads lie substantially in the plane with said guide faces, it follows that said pipes arev brought into alinement, and forced together end to end, the pressure-applied upon the pipes -'i n coupling being a direct pressurelongitudinally of the pipes.

The operation is as follows: The flat bear- A and'B, of the drawhead, afford positive abutting faces, for 'a complemental drawhead, when coupled therewith, and the inclined guide face C, on each acts to direct said drawhead obliquelyand laterally 'to bring the locking heads into coupled relation with the drawheads in exact register and wedgingly engagedtogether by means of said locking heads. For this purpose 7 of each of the locking heads, is directed outwardly -and substantially parallel with theinclined guide face C, of the same drawhead, and in position to engage the inwardly inclined face 9, of the locking head in the drawhead coming into In consequence, such lat eral swing of the drawheads in coming into axial alinement and under the influence of the mutual engagement of the guide faces G, acts to wedgingly force said complemental inclined faces of the locking heads into positiveengagement, forcing the drawheads firmly together with the shoulder or rib 5, of the one locking head engaged in the recessthereforin the other, thus affording a between the drawheads, and locking heads in coupled re 'lation, both to resist lateral flexing or vertical flexing. I

lVith the inward projection of the locking head into the drawhead, the rounded point 5" of each strikes into the inner side of the recess in the cam block, rotating the cam blocks, as shown in Fig. 3,-to permit the end of the locking head to pass the same, whereupon the springs for said cam blocks reversely rotate ,the same, swinging the cam faces wedgingly into engagement with the locking heads in the. .outer recess provided therefor, as showninFigs. 2 01"7, rigidly engaging said locking heads in unyielding coupled relation, affording practically as rigid an engagement as though the drawheads and locking heads were integrally conthrou 11 said arms and-locking heads are broug it into alinement and forced together end to end, and-because of the gaskets seated in the ends of said-pipes, an airand steam tight joint is a fiorded. Of course, the pushing springs 37, on said pipes, exert sutlicient tension as to hold such' compression, acting at alltimes to force:saidpipes-inwardly and to yieldingly sustain the thrust of the complemental pipes bearing thereagainst. Inasmuch as the guide'faces and inclined faces of the locking head direct said pipes into positive alinement and engagement, and inasmuch as the locking heads cooperating with the inclined guide faces C, of the drawhead, and the abutting faces A and 13, thereof, act to wedgingly engage the drawheads in coupled relation, preventing relative movement or' sli'p therebetwcen, it follows that said pipes are subjected only to direct longitudinal pressure andnot in any instance to transverse or-rolling pressure upon the gaskets, in consequence wear upon the gaskets is almost wholly obviated. I have provided means, however, to limit the shock in couplin upon said gaskets to prevent injury of tie same, an for this'-pur-' pose, a lip or projection 42, is. provided at the inner end of each of said pipes at the outer side thereof, such projection being sufficiently great to bring the same into onagement with the edge of the corresponding pipeiii-coupling when the gaskets are compressed beyond normal coupled compres- S1011.-

Inasmuch as it sometimes may be -desirable to couple drawheads of a different type, and in which a pin is employed, I have rovided a slotted aperture at the outer on of each of said locking heads adapted to be projected into a drawhead to receive the coupling pin, thus enabling a drawhead em-m odying my invention to be coupled with many other kinds of drawheads. When so cou led the shoulder 5 lies in the same plane witi the bufling face B and bears against the builing face of such other drawhead.

In uncoupling, the levers 14 are each pulled back against the tension of their springs, reversely rotating the cam block suiliciently to permit the projection .on the head of the locking-bolt 23, which normally rides on the rounded end of the locking head, as shown in Fig. 3, to-slide forwardly and into the sector shaped recess in said cam block between the same and the end of-the said'cain block in any event is free to rotate to permit full release or clearance, inasmuch as a suflicient lateral swing of the bolt 23, is permitted in any event to enable said cam block to clear the same and to release itself when rotated to normal under the-impulse of its spring. 1

Of course, details of construction may be varied. Any desired number of hose pipe connections may be employed and numerous details of construction may be modified to suit therequirements of the service to which the device is to be subjected. For example, in later couplers such as couplers for street cars (and probably in other uses) the bolt 23, may be dispensed with, and a larger eccentricity given to the cam block, as illustrated. and .described with reference to Figs. 7 and- 8. ':It' is tobe understood, however, that I have shown but a preferred form-of the invention, and that I do not purpose limiting the patent grantedon this application otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Complemental drawheads, a 7 locking head rigidly secured on each and projecting outwardly therefrom, a rotative spring actuated cam block in each drawhead acting automatically to hold the locking heads in coupled relation, means retracting the cam blocks in uncoupling, and a locking bolt acting to hold the same retracted during uncoupling.

2. Inc device of the class described drawheads. locking. heads associated therewith. each locking head having a rounded point anda concave recess at the outer side of the point, arotative spring pressed cam block journaled in theside of each of the drawheads opposite the locking head therein and adapted to be reversely rotated during a coupling operation by-the entering drawhead, and acting to rotate under the action of its-spring, .into the recess near the point of the entering locking head to rigidly engage-the locking head in the drawhead with said lockingheads interlocked withoneanother, and a lever for retracting said cam block into a release position to permit uncoupling of the drawheads.

3.- In a device of the class described drawhea'ds each having a flat abutting face diing said abutting faces; a locki ng,.-head enrected at a right angle with the axis of the drawhead and an intermediate guideface.

therebetweeninclining at an angle-of approximately forty five degrees to the respective abutting facesy'a locking head project ing from each drawhead, a rotative: cam block in each drawhead adapted toiengage behind the locking head to hold the same in coupledrelation, and a spring impelled gaged in each drawheady cam blocks acting automatically to engage the locking heads in coupledrelation, and hose pipe connections each drawhead in alinement with said guide faces and adapted thereby to couple when the"drawheads are coup led- I 5. A device of the vclass describederhbracing complemental drawheads, each; af-

fording an inner and an outer fiat guide face directed substantially at a right angle with the axis of the drawhead,' an intermediate inclined guide face connecting the, same at substantially an angle of. forty five degrees with the axis, locking heads rigidly engaged in the drawheads and having inclined faces toward said guide faces and adaptedto interlock in coupling with a complemen'tal locking head, air and steam pipe connections extending through the dr'a'W- heads and locking heads inali-nement with said guide faces and adapted thereby tovbe brought into longitudinal alinement and engagement end to end when the draavheads are coupled, and automatic means forholding the locking heads in coupled relation.

6. A. device of the class described em bracing coinplemental drawheads, a locking head rigidly engaged in each and projecting outwardly therefrom, and affordlng-an outwardly directed shoulder to interfit a complemental horizontal. recess inthe complemental drawhead, inclined faces on each locking head directed toward the axis of the drawhead, and also at substantially fort five degrees with the axis, hose connections engaged through each drawhead and locking head and parallel said inclined faces on the locking heads and adapted to be brought into positive and coupled relation when the drawheads are coupled, a gasket on the inner end of each of said hose connections, and aprojection on each hose connection -.adapted to engage the end of the other hose connection to relieve pressure on said gasket before excessive compression, and locking means for holding the locking heads in coupled relation.

7.;In a device of the class described a cored out drawhead, a locking head rigidly engaged therein at one side of the axis thereof,a spring impelled .ZCZUH block positioned within said drawhead at the other 'side of the axis thereof adapted to engagethe'end of an entering "complei'nental locking head of anotherjdrawhead to hold said drawheads in coupledfrelation, a lever for retracting said cam block, and-sprlng'nnpelled means acting" to 'holdsa'd --blocks retracted dur ing uncouplingoffthe drawheads.

8. In a device o f the class described drawouterv shoulder-to engage in a colnplemental hor zontal recess in the complemental drawhead ftoresist vertical flexing of the draw- 9. In a device of the class described inter- I fitting coinpleinental 'drawheads, each hav- 1ng an incllned central guide face on the abutting endthereof, acting when thedra'wheads are coupled to braci'ngly resist lateral flexing, a remo'vablelocking head rigidly engaged in each drawhead and projecting therefrom, and a shoulder at the outer side of said locking head adapted to engage in a complemental liorizont'alfslot in the complementa-l-drawhead to resist the vertical flexing of the drawhead.

v 10. "In a device .of the class described'imterfitting compleinental drawheads, a recessed locking head rigidly engaged in each 'heads'shaped to afford outer abutting faces, andv a n intermediate'inclined guide face, a locking headinea'chdrawhead affording an drawhead and projecting therefrom, a shoulder at the outer Side of each of'said locking heads adapted toengage in a coinpleinental horizontal slot in the'coinplemental drawhead to resist the vertical flexing of the drawheads, means within said drawheads adapted to lock said locking head in-coupled relation, and acting to hold the drawheads in rigid bearing face to face inutually engaging faces on said locking heads acting together with the cam block'to rigidly and wedgingly engage the drawheads in coupled relation in rigid alinelne'nt face to face and substantially as a unitary structure.

11. In a device of the class described coinpleniental drawheads and locking heads rigidly engaged therein and affording respectively an inclined guide face and opposed inclined locking faces, each directed at substantially forty five degrees with the axis of the drawhead. and adapted in coupling to swing one drawliead laterally of the other to afford a relative inward and lateral 11loveinent of the locking heads. spring pressed pipes engaged. in each drawhead and locking head and projecting through one of the inclined walls of the latter substantially parallel with the inclined guide faces and locking faces, and aliording at the outer ends connections for the. t "a in line pipes, a gasket at the inner end of each, a lip at the inner end of each. pipe adapted to impinge the coinplementalpipe in couplin to liinit'the coinpresion of the gasket, am springs acting to hold saidjpipe connections outwardly. I Ina device of the class described a locking head afi'ording an; outer shoulder adapted to engage in a coinplementalrecess in the eolnplenienta ing at its inner edgea section of-zigzagged, fortyfive degree engaging faces, e mg: head havinga slotted aperture extending through. theouter end thereof to permit-coupling, each locking head having a rounded point and recessed engage in said recessed portion to maintain said locking heads; interlocked with one another and with the shoulders thereon engaged in locking relation with the recesses provided therefor in said drawheadsn -drawheads a rotative eccentric cam block in one thereof having a notch or recess'in one side thereof to receive the point of an end of the other in moving to rotate said cam block on said cam block ,pled position, a spring acting to reverse the rotation after theprojection oi the point of the locl'zing head therepast to swing the eccentric face of: the cam block into loching'posi r 'ai ist the locking head, a spring pressed detent acting to engage in the recess in the cam block and between the same and the locking head. when the cam block is rotated to uncoupling posilocking heads affording outw ach lochnear the outer side ther of adjacent the'point, and means adapted to 13. In a coupler of the 'class"described drawhead to cou tion, and'a lever. for actuating the cam block in uncouplin 14,111 a device of the class described drawheads,- and detachablerigidly secured. locking heads therein having fiat .outer and inner abutting faces, an intermediate inclined guide face connecting the same, said ardly directed shoulders'ada'p'ted to engage in acomplemental horizontal recess in the complemental drawhead, and means \vedgingly engag ing the locking heads in coupled relation wherebythe inclined guide faces and mutual engagement of the locking heads resist lat I e'ral flexing of the drawheads, and the shoulders of-the locking head interfitting the re cess in thecomplemental drawhead resist vertical'fiexlng of. the drawheads when coupled. f-

15. In a -derice of the class described dra'wheads and recessed locking head rigidly en aged. therewithin, said drawheads and c 'ing heads act ng in couplingto interfit to'preclude lateral flexing and vertical flexing whencoupled, a spring impelled vertically'rota'table recesse cam wedgingly and rigidly engaglng 1n the recess in, the locking head to couple the saine in the drawhead, a

pin secured within the .drawhead, and a swing inipelled slidahl-e bolt slotted to engage said pin and acting to hold said cam retracted In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed 1'ny nalne in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

' HERBERT E. VAN DORN. \Vitnessesz.

I CHARLES \V. HILLs, Jr., LAWRENCE REITESTEIN. 

